1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the game of golf and more particularly to a golf club guide which allows a golfer to grip a respective golf club in the same spot each time for an improved golf swing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In playing the game of golf, having a proper and consistent golf swing is essential to prevent hooking or slicing of the golf ball during the golf swing. To aide a golfer during his swing several guides have been designed in the past. U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,426 to Cox shows a golf club guide which attaches to a golf club shaft and provides an abutment which continuously engages the user's trailing forearm during both the backswing and follow-through positions, in order to maintain operative alignment between the golf club and the user's trailing arm as the golf club is swung through the backswing and follow-through positions. Cox discloses a device which prevents wrist movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,734 to Allsop shows a projecting contact member attached to a tennis racket and having a rounded outer end adapted to fit comfortably into the "V" between the thumb and index finger of a player. In use, the rigid handle position of the tennis racket is loosely held in the player's hand. The thumb and first finger locate around the contact member. As the hand of the player is rotated, the contact member is carried with the thumb and finger to a desired angular position, using indicia on the racket and/or the sensation of a ball engaging detent as a guide. As seen in FIG. 8 of Allsop, the contact member or block consumes a relatively large cross-sectional area of the top surface of the tennis racket in order to allow the contact member to comfortably fit into the "V" between the thumb and index finger of a player.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,326 to Kokes shows a pad or closed cell foam rubber material or the like which is fixed to a golf club grip in a position to be held by the lower hand of the golfer. The pad is adapted to absorb energy from the lower hand during a golf swing to prevent overpowering of the club by the lower hand. The pad includes a layer of closed cell foam rubber and a pressure sensitive adhesive to affix the pad to the golf club grip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,158 to Kuykendall shows a golf putter comprising a putter blade or head having a forwardly-angled striking face to impart immediate overspin to the ball being struck. The putter includes a relatively large square handle or grip for enabling alignment of the palm head with the projected line of ball travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,458 to Proctor, Jr. shows a pivot member at the upper end of a golf club shaft, which is biased outwardly by a compression spring and is adapted to be squeezed by the uppermost hand of the user and moved against the fixed semicylindrical portion of the shaft to provide a generally cylindrical grip portion. If the gripping force exerted by the golfer's hand is not sufficient to compress the spring and force the pivoted member against the shaft, an awkward and uncomfortable grip portion is provided which prevents the golfer from swinging the club in the proper manner.
What is needed in the art is a device or apparatus for resting the outside portion of a golfer's thumb while the golfer is gripping the golf club in order for the golfer's hands to be aligned with the golf club head, thus allowing the golf club head to hit the golf ball at the same angle each time. It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings that the present invention is directed.